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Clockmaker

Clockmaker

TV movie199890 minMidcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Director
Christopher Coppola
Starring
Anthony Medwetz, Katie Johnston, Zachary McLemore, Pierrino Mascarino

Fourteen-year-old Henry and his friends are about to change history. Sneaking into the apartment of an eccentric Clockmaker, the kids discover that the old man controls time for the entire world through an incredible array of magnificent timepieces and weird machines. When one of the curious kids accidentally pushes a wrong button and gets launched back in time, the space-time continuum is severely disrupted. As everything begins to change around them, the young adventurers must travel back in time to save their friend...and the future

Where to watch

Where can I watch Clockmaker?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Clockmaker streaming on Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Reception

Is Clockmaker worth watching?

Clockmaker's Midcredits score is the 2nd percentile of all films, from 250 ratings across 3 sources. 15% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

2nd percentile

Better received than 2% of films

3rd percentile among Adventure1st percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)4th
Approval (how many liked it)3rd

39 /100

4th percentile of all films

4th percentile among Adventure2nd percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

15% liked it

3rd percentile of all films

5th percentile among Adventure3rd percentile among 1990s
15% rated it 7–1085% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

21st percentile

250 ratings across platforms

13th percentile among Adventure12th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 20% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A low-budget time-travel kids' adventure with modest production values and a far-fetched premise.

Fans praised

  • colorful sets and imaginative concepts despite low budget
  • winsome lead performance by Katie Johnston as Mary Beth
  • entertaining low-budget romp for undemanding viewers

Detractors panned

  • cheap and obvious green screen effects throughout
  • convoluted and nonsensical plot
  • amateurish camera work and poor sound mix

What stands out

ActingDivisive30

child actors praised as decent yet adults hammy

OriginalityDivisive25

derivative of Goonies/Willy Wonka yet some imaginative concepts

Pacing25

boring and inane, kids run around a lot

Plot and storyDivisive20

convoluted, unoriginal time-travel logic

Characters20

annoying, stupid children and campy adults

Dialogue15

poorly written, nonsensical

Cinematography15

bad camera angles, swooping dives

Effects and spectacle10

cheesy CGI and obvious green screen

Watch experience

What is Clockmaker like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It has a few laughs and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
AbsurdTense
Heaviest: middle
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material straight as a family adventure, but poor execution gives an accidental campiness.
The rideThe film swings between absurd, cheap visual effects and low-stakes tension, with the most stressful time-travel action in the middle.
StructureConventional linear storytelling from present to past and back, with no indication of nonlinear devices.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulFun
Why it leaves you this wayThe adventure resolves with the timeline restored, leaving a sense that things work out, though the film's poor quality undercuts the intended feel-good effect.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThree kids must travel back in time to retrieve a friend who accidentally disrupted the timeline. The story is driven by the objective of rescuing the teen from the past and restoring order.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe children must work together to undo a mistake and rescue their friend, emphasizing loyalty and mutual support.
StanceThe film warns about the dangers of meddling with time and the consequences of irresponsible actions, but its low-budget, campy presentation undercuts the seriousness.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicForeground music · original score · Jim Fox
SettingA modern city neighborhood, an old clockmaker's apartment, and a 19th-century fascist alternate timeline
MusicThe score is often loud and overpowers dialogue, according to reviews.

Cast and crew

Who is in Clockmaker?

Cast

Anthony Medwetz
as Henry
Katie Johnston
as Mary Beth
Zachary McLemore
as Devon
Pierrino Mascarino
as Markham
Daisy Nystul
as Betty
Tom Gulager
as Bankwell
Eugen Cristea
as Brogan
Florin Chiriac
as Time Agent Leader
Petre Moraru
as Time Agent
Cristian Motiu
as Time Agent

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Clockmaker?

The closest match to Clockmaker is Clockstoppers (2002); both are family adventures.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Clockmaker?

4.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: family adventure. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.